Christianity, Voodoo mix conflicts many Haitians

Damas' alleged acts illustrate threat of 'evil'

Sep. 23, 2009

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1:10 A.M. — Before returning to Collier County on Tuesday, Mesac Damas made comments to the media in Haiti that an evil spirit had caused him to kill his wife and five children, while also noting he was a Christian.

The alleged mass killer's words illustrate the mingling of Christianity and evil mistakenly associated with Haitian Voodoo, experts said. The religions have been coexisting on the island since the 16th century, they said.

"There's a constant struggle between good and evil in the individual and the community," said Alix Cantave, associate director at the William Monroe Trotter Institute for The Study of Black Culture at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

"In this context, good is Christianity and evil is Voodoo."

Cantave, who read Damas' comments, said it allows him to absolve himself of responsibility.

"You hide behind that, 'It's not my fault. It's this evil spirit,' even though there is no such thing in Voodoo," he said. "He's saying in a way, 'I did good by killing my wife because she was evil.' It wasn't him."

The CIA World Factbook says 80 percent of Haiti is Catholic and about half practices Voodoo. David Geggus, a University of Florida history professor, said Haitians often harbor both Voodoo and Christian beliefs.

"People go to a Voodoo temple on Saturday and a church on Sunday."

Cantave said Voodoo practitioners are often victimized because they are accused of being evil.

Marc Prou, who chairs Africana Studies at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, said core principles of Voodoo value good and healing.

The religion does not condone evil-doing.

"It's using Voodoo as a scapegoat for awful behavior," Prou said.

Yet for Haitian pastor Ildet Jean-Louis, who leads Fraternity Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Christians who are not fully converted are susceptible to evil.

But he doesn't buy Damas' story.

"That's something he planned to do," he said. "Everybody can call themselves a Christian, but the fruit that you produce will tell me who you are."